I always turn to these air fryer nachos when I need something quick, comforting, and fun to share with friends or family, especially for game days. I wish I had an air fryer available when I was in college, because I’d have made these ALL the time. These nachos are cheesy, crunchy, and loaded with flavor and the air fryer makes it so easy—you get perfectly melted cheese and warm toppings in just minutes. Plus, it’s endlessly customizable based on what you’ve got in the fridge!
This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you’re in a rush, please use the “Jump to Recipe” above!
💭 10-Minute Nachos Perfect for Any Gathering
You’ll love these nachos because they’re the perfect combination of quick and customizable, especially for game day! Some weekends, I pile them high with spicy jalapeños and drizzle on a little queso diablo for a smoky kick, while other times, I load them with extra black beans and avocado lime dressing for a more filling snack.
Whether you’re making a late-night treat or feeding a crowd, this recipe comes together in under 10 minutes. Plus, the air fryer ensures perfectly melted cheese without heating up your whole kitchen—what’s not to love?
📋 Ingredients and notes
To make these air fryer nachos, you’ll need sturdy corn tortilla chips, canned black beans, shredded Cheddar or Mexican cheese, and salsa. For toppings, you can use lime juice, avocados, green onions, and sour cream. The best part is that topping options are endless!
Make vegan nachos
Nachos can be vegan depending on the toppings you choose! Simply skip the cheddar cheese or use vegan cheese, and cut the sour cream.
Shruthi’s Top Tip
Line your air fryer basket with foil to catch melted cheese and prevent mess. Overlap tortilla chips slightly to ensure every chip gets a layer of toppings. Want to make your own tortilla chips? These air fryer tortilla chips will become your new best friend!
- Use freshly shredded cheese for the best melt—pre-shredded often contains anti-caking agents that hinder melting.
- Add salsa in dollops to avoid soggy chips, especially with thin tortilla chips.
- If your air fryer is small, work in batches to keep layers even.
- Keep an eye on the nachos—air fryers vary, so check every minute after the 2-minute mark.
- If you don’t mind an extra dish, warm the beans slightly before adding them to keep the nachos evenly hot.
- For extra crunch, toast the tortilla chips for 1-2 minutes in the air fryer before adding toppings.
- Add favorite toppings or garnishes like avocado, sliced tomato, green onions, or fresh cilantro after cooking to avoid burning.
Variations and Substitutions
- Tortilla chips. I recommend using restaurant-quality chips that are lightly salted for the best results. You can also make your own air fryer tortilla chips from scratch, and you can take it up a notch by using homemade flour tortillas.
- Type of Cheese. I prefer using sharp Cheddar cheese, but Mexican blends, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack cheese also work great. You want something strong that melts well.
- Toppings. There are endless possibilities when it comes to toppings for this recipe! I went with black beans and homemade salsa, then piled on fresh avocado, sour cream, green onions, and a quick squeeze of lime juice for that perfect zing. Want to mix it up? Try adding jalapeños, black olives, pico de Gallo, and a generous dollop of spicy guacamole.
📖 How to make air fryer nachos
Step 1:
Preheat your air fryer to 350°F. Line your air fryer basket with aluminum foil to prevent the cheese from dripping down. Even if you have a tray style air fryer, adding aluminum foil still helps!
Step 2:
Spread out 3 cups of tortilla chips on top of aluminum foil, spacing them out evenly, and overlapping rows to further prevent cheese from dripping in between the chips. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you might need more or less chips! Scale or make in batches as needed.
Step 3:
Add 1 cup of salsa, 14.5 oz can of black beans (drained and rinsed), and 1 cup of salsa. Then, sprinkle freshly shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend across the top of the nachos. Be generous! Add jalapenos slices on top of the cheese if desired.
Step 4:
Place the basket or tray back and air fry for about 2-5 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted. Depending on your air fryer, you might need to cook more (I recommend checking in 1-minute intervals!)
Step 5:
Remove nachos from air fryer, and then top with your favorite nacho toppings – I’ve used avocados, green onions, and sour cream with a squeeze of lime juice. But check the post for other toppings!
Devour crispy chips with gooey cheese and all the good stuff while hot!
Note: Air fryer temperatures will vary depending on the model and the type of air fryer (e.g., basket versus tray), so the exact cooking time will vary depending on those factors as well.
🍴 How to serve air fryer vegetarian nachos
I love making these nachos whenever I need a quick snack or appetizer—no oven required! Just pop them in the air fryer and you’re good to go. Pair them with your favorite dips like guacamole salsa, instant pot queso, habanero salsa, pico de gallo, or a splash of hot sauce. To round out the meal, you can also serve them with a side of elotes, veggie taco or refried beans for a delicious and satisfying combo!
🍴Storage and reheating suggestions
These nachos are best served immediately while warm, but if there are any leftover nachos, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
I don’t recommend freezing nachos. Why would you when you can make the best nachos in under 10 minutes?! Also, the texture becomes weird and soggy when frozen and then thawed.
🍴 How to reheat nachos in air fryer
To reheat, sprinkle some extra cheese on top and pop the nachos into a preheated air fryer at 320°F for 2-3 minutes. This quick blast of heat will melt the cheese perfectly and bring back that irresistible crunch!
🍴 More game day recipes
If you like this recipe, check out my other game day recipes:
Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Sweet Potato Skins
Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes (Crispy, Garlic)
Cream Cheese Corn Dip
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Air Fryer Nachos
Equipment
Ingredients
Base for Air Fryer Nachos
- 3 cups tortilla chips
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 can black beans, 14.5 oz, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded, substitute with Mexican cheese blend
Toppings
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- ½ teaspoon lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 350°F. Line your air fryer basket with aluminum foil to prevent the cheese from dripping down. Even if you have a tray style air fryer, adding aluminum foil still helps!
- Spread out 3 cups of tortilla chips on top of aluminum foil, spacing them out evenly, and overlapping rows to further prevent cheese from dripping in between the chips. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you might need more or less chips! Scale or make in batches as needed.
- Add 1 cup of salsa, 14.5 oz can of black beans (drained and rinsed), and 1 cup of salsa. Then, sprinkle freshly shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend across the top of the nachos. Be generous!
- Place the air fryer basket or tray back into the air fryer and cook for about 2-5 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted. Depending on your air fryer, you might need to cook more (I recommend checking in 1 minute intervals!)
- Remove nachos from air fryer, and then top with your favorite garnishes – I've used avocados, green onions, and sour cream with a squeeze of lime juice. But check the post for other toppings! Devour while hot!
Notes
- Line your air fryer with foil to minimize mess.
- Overlap chips slightly for even topping distribution.
- Use freshly shredded cheese or a Mexican cheese blend for optimal melting.
- Add fresh garnishes like avocado and green onions after cooking to avoid burning them.
- You can bake these nachos in the oven at 350°F for about 5-7 minutes until the cheese melts.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried air fryer nachos. My family loved it. Quick and easy.